Bayside boosts soft plastics recycling

Soft plastic bags are shifty little expletives! Apart from impersonating jellyfish and gumming up the gut of unsuspecting turtles and dolphins, they also gum up equipment used to recycle hard plastics. So there was a buzz in the air when Bayside Climate Change Action Group launched their local soft plastics recycling trial at Sandringham Farmers Market. Funded by Bayside Council, the trial provides 6 red bins strategically placed in the municipality for residents to drop off their (soft) plastic bags for recycling. The plastics are transformed into benches, bollards and decking by Replas (an Australian company).

Cr Heather Stewart reminded everyone that “soft plastics are a disaster. Australia uses 3.92 billion bags a year, with 50 million ending up as litter. This is not OK!” Captain Trash was quick to point out that “RRRRRR stands for RECYCLING!”